Bob and I attended the Armed Forces Day being held in The Memorial Gardens. It was the perfect opportunity to celebrate our armed forces and to say a huge thank you to them. The day was well attended and I was very impressed with the number of young people who attended, both in uniform and none uniform. The standards were in full flurry and it was good to see the Aden flag in attendance too, as believe the anniversary of Aden is coming up very soon. The pipes and drums were excellent and I must say I found that the marching, which was also excellent, made me feel very proud. Whilst at the event, I talked to soldiers who demonstrated the body armour and equipment they had to wear. I could not believe how heavy it was! How they manage in combat situations is beyond me. The women too have to wear it. I could not even lift it! I also managed to experience a parachute jump without getting into an aeroplane as there was an opportunity to ‘have a go’ by wearing virtual reality goggles. Amazing! The event was well organised and I must say a huge thank you to those who worked so hard to bring about such an event and to ensure that it ran smoothly. Thank you to those who took part, thank you to those who came along and thank you to our Armed Forces who work so hard for us both at home and abroad. The Armed Forces flag was raised and I believe it will fly all week. Cllr Brenda Burgess Crawley Borough Council (Con, Three bridges) __ Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on. 1) Make our website your homepage at www.crawleyobserver.co.uk 2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/crawleyobserver 3) Follow us on Twitter @Crawley_Obby 4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out! The Crawley Observer - always the first with your local news. Be part of it.